Eye of the Tiger (Jagara)

The Shifter was padding through the streets among the quaint cottages and houses in his leopard form, his regal head lowered down to the cobblestone ground as he made his rounds. He had been out since the morning, early and bright. Doing the usual thing. There had been nothing funny that he’d smelt. Nothing unusual he’d seen. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just peace and quiet. No scents here that he’d smelt except for the familiar smell of Shifters. It brought back some fun memories. And some interesting ones. He had never had seen a door being kicked down so forcefully before. Maybe he’d bump into the Auxiliary and get to know her if she could spare a moment of her time. He had regretted meeting her under those circumstances and was sure that had it not been the same situation, they could have been more cordial with each other and friendlier. Maybe. He did not want to have any hostility or misunderstandings between them when they were more than likely to be working alongside one another in the future. Or have regular contact with each other. And she was seemingly, the librarian so she had access to books. He enjoyed learning about things and maybe there would be some books on robots in there. He could make some mechanical gadgetry that could help protect them. Motion sensors, laser grids, invisible trip wires for example. Or maybe a simple security system to start with. One that would alert the Shifters to any intruders for example. The Shifter lands could do with some additional defences. What use were animals against the power and speed of vampires? Or the raw, brute strength of the werewolves? Though he thought that there was a chance the werewolves could be their friends. They both turned into animals. And if all those whispers he had heard had been true then the Shifters weren’t on the vampires’ favourite people, somewhere near the bottom with the werewolves. Pushing aside feelings and emotions, it was a practical to form some kind of friendship with them. Though Niko could not think of why the leader of their pack would agree unless he truly, really did love Eden. And he supposed that was the best outcome of all to secure some safety for their clan. And werewolves weren’t all bad to be friends with. His old friend had been a werewolf. He had known when to be serious and when to have fun. And he had a wicked sense of humour. Niko missed that guy.

He gazed up at the evening skies where the sun was already starting to disappear behind the clouds. The first splash of stars were already appearing in the skies, white orbs twinkling in a canvas of dark bluish-black. Niko blinked, eyes glowing brilliant gold like fading ambers in the darkness. Niko continued onwards, his pads pressing into the ground. His ears were peeled open, head going down as he returned back to predatory mode. As he moved, the powerful muscles in his shoulders and legs flexed and rolled with each step. Niko had many things to think about. The safety of the Regina, as his duty lay in that. The safety of the home, the safety of the rest of the clan. Emotions had no place where those matters were concerned. But he knew that he was thinking about one Shifter more than the others. He could get along well with her and perhaps, be honest with her. Be honest with her about things that he would not tell anyone else. But then again, he had only met or been acquainted with two other Shifters, one being Eden and the other two being her deceased mate and the guy who he hadn’t had the chance of introducing himself to. Eden, he would not have been thinking of in any way that was anything other than Shifter matters that would be between an Epror and his Regina. And he had no reason to think of the other two excessively. Niko was not in the habit of forcing others to do something they were not willing to do or enforce his authority. But that did not mean he was soft. Tranquil, calm anger was no more dangerous than explosive anger. It could strike at any time and it could do it with a smile on its face. Niko had claws and a heart that was as brave as it was fierce. He would show no mercy on those that hurt his loved ones or his dearest friends. Or his family. He could be laughing and smiling one moment, playing a game with his friends then turn around and punch someone in the face after they’d been repeatedly harassing him and continue as if nothing had happened. Lyrics to a song ran through his head and his tail started to sway slightly though he still kept his senses alert. …Staring up at the ceiling…I go blank. Waking up with this feeling…just wanna believe in a day we’d all relate. Is this worth your time…will I get it right? Only time will tell, or will this pass as well? Niko’s expression grew slightly solemn, the last words playing over and over in his mind. He usually had a sunny disposition. It was what had kept him alive all these years. Just because he was optimistic it didn’t mean he was naïve. He just liked to believe the best in people. If someone did something bad once then they had a chance to be good. He was not the type to write someone off as a lost cause if they made one mistake. Everyone made mistakes. He liked getting to know a person. But sometimes, one too many mistakes was too much and it may be harmful to continue. He was easy-going and he knew what he liked. Knew what he didn’t like. And he had friends before. All kinds of friends. Friends who had pretended to be his friend only to get something. Or friends that hadn’t really been his friends because he could not rely on them but yet, they could rely on him when he couldn’t rely on them? That wasn’t friendship. That was being gullible. Friends didn’t let each other down. Niko just hoped he placed his trust in the right people. That he’d get it right this time. Because he couldn’t live with himself if anything happened to the clan because he had trusted the wrong people. And out of everyone he’d met, the thought of seeing Blake die was the one thought he didn’t want to think about the most. She was most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life. The image of the door being kicked down made him chuckle. The door had never stood a chance. Niko continued to walk, his gait lithe and swift. Always vigilant. Always keeping his eye on the goal. This was his home and he would kill to protect it and the Shifters that lived in it from anyone that dared try to burn it down. In the same vein, if anyone was causing trouble he would give one warning. And what happened next depended on the person. But it was a time of peace now and he hoped it would remain that way.

((INCREDIBLY sorry, love. I've had either no muse or no time for this girl here. *pats Jags* But I'll try my best to reply relatively quickly now. Still, I'm sorry for the wait. I'm not normally this bad!))

Seeing the time on the wall clock had little use to Jagara. Glancing at it from her chair in the library office, she wondered why she even kept it there. Her instincts knew when it was dusk and dawn, just like her stomach knew when it was time to feed. She supposed she needed it there to ring at ten, which would signify her break to go check on pack life and ensure everything was running smoothly. The Auxiliary was like a shadow, always present but rarely interfering. The way she saw it, everyone could go on happily with their lives so long as they were not causing trouble or breaking a pack rule. With her, they would be protected from both outside intruders and their own stupidity, if it reared its head. The blonde woman yawned as she stood up and put her notebooks away, more out of boredom than fatigue. She paused for a moment to stare at her leather book, flipping through its filling pages of research and observations. Perhaps, she figured, it was best to publish it when it was full. That way the rest of her pack, as well as shifters world-wide, could have a better understanding of each other and the opposing races. It was similar to a survival guide, but to her, it meant her whole life’s worth of knowledge stowed in one thick book in tiny, delicate print and diagrams. Shaking her head, Jagara stuffed the notebook into her trench-coat pocket. She was not ready to part with it yet, not even for publishing. It wasn’t ready.

Once finished locking up, the Auxiliary shifted into her true feline form, leaving her belongings inside the secure building. It was about her time to patrol the borders and outskirts of their territories, since snow leopards are most active in the transitioning periods of the day. Her short forelegs extended forward to their fullest whilst her powerful hind legs gave her a bit of a bounce to her step as she went along the street at a trot. Her trot might seem proportionately amusing if one observed her movements acutely, but yet her steps were light, silent, and had the same grace as any feline. Her massive tail swung slowly behind her to the cadence of her trot. Within a minute or so, Jagara caught sight of that Epror… Niko. The first and last time she had vocally interacted with him was when she corrected him as he was evidently trying to impress a new female. The thought brought a certain distaste into her mind, but she shoved it away. She simply raised her tail a little higher, as she naturally should (though not enough to make it rude), and continued on her way. He was, apparently, finishing a patrol, and she had no reason to interrupt his duties. A slight dip of her ashen head was given in greeting as she approached, calmly passing him while her throat and jaws chose not to betray the silence of her paws.

He lowered his head to the ground so that his nose was close to it, his whiskers quivering. Nothing but the scents of the Shifters. He turned his head, tail lifting as his bright amber eyes scoured the alleys between the houses and his surroundings. Though he expected to see a Shifter around, the Regina or the Auxiliary or even a Shifter he hadn’t seen or met before a part of him hoped he’d see Blake, the Mender he had met. He had been fascinated by her, wanting to know more about her and he’d wanted to see how she was doing after their first interaction. Take a walk together in the forest even. She had been interested in mending things. Animals. He had some books in his apartment on animals. Felines. He’d have to show her the books when he saw her next. He started to swish his tail idly. Looking to the side as he heard the fluttering of wings in the alleyway, he started to turn. A bird came flying out of the darkness, angling its body so that its right wing was tilting upwards. Its wings were long and narrow, straight out at its sides and its tail was forked. It was tiny with a sturdy body like a miniature capsule. It made a U-turn, soaring upwards towards the sky. It was heading towards the library. He had seen it while he was making his rounds. He raised his head, watching it disappear over the roof-top. As he did, the scent of something flooded through the air. Another Shifter. The Auxiliary? There was also another smell. Of paper and leather. He looked towards the library, seeing her locking the doors before transforming. He caught a glimpse of something in her pocket that made them bulge a little before she transformed completely. Was that a note-book? Shrugging on the inside, he continued on the same path as she started walking herself in what appeared to be a trot but there was some kind of bounce in her steps as well. He seemed to smile as she showed her dominance in their ranks, acknowledging the raise of her tail (and by association, her rank) by raising his own just slightly lower than hers at the same time. Just slightly. He still remembered what had happened last time. There had been a misunderstanding. Perhaps she felt like he hadn’t been doing his duties properly per say or done something wrong by letting Blake inside the house. But he had thought that Blake had meant no harm as she had been accepted by Eden. But he acknowledged that he could’ve been wrong.

He paused, turning his head to watch her go by curiously as she dipped her head slightly towards him in greeting. He would have done the same but the moment had passed him by and she had passed him by as well. Nevertheless, he did not try to stop her for he thought she would’ve wanted to go on her way but he had been interested in meeting her for curiosity’s sake when things were calmer. Like now. Some questions were whirling around in his mind. Had she been staying past late reading or doing her custodian duties? Just how big was that library? He wondered. Was she going to say anything? He wasn’t really concerned if she did unless she looked like she was physically injured or ill but she seemed completely fine. But he was glad she seemed to be in a better mood. Least that’s what it looked like. He couldn’t really tell because he had seen her expression for a few seconds and he didn’t know she usually acted in normal circumstances since their last one wasn’t the best. Maybe she was still carrying some bad feelings from their previous encounter. Or she was mad at him? But she hadn’t said or done anything. And she hadn’t looked angry. As her tail slipped past his nose where she’d almost passed him completely he turned halfway so that the upper half of his body was facing her and chuckled deeply. Warmth was coming from his amber eyes from the natural glow they projected in the darkness but he held no ill will towards the Auxiliary. He said his voice punctuating the silence in a deep, friendly voice, “Glad to see you again, Auxiliary Jagara. How have you been?”

Jagara did not smile to him, even upon seeing his lips curl in that particular manner. She was certainly one of those women whose only smile was a genuine one in which emotion, allowed to act freely, pulled at her lips in a display of joy. She knew her fake smiles given for the sake of formality were clearly false, and so she had stopped bothering to try them on. Instead, her elegant feline facial features remained calm and neutral whilst passing the male. Satisfied with the silent exchange, she focused on the path ahead of her, ready to run her rounds around the lands… But then he spoke. His voice, however warm and pleasant, broke the stillness of sound around her, causing a soft, noiseless sigh to escape her maw. To her regret, she stopped mid-stride, repositioning her lifted paw to take a turning step. Her side facing the Epror, she looked at him over her shoulder and rumbled in return, “What a pleasure, Epror Niko. For what you need to know, I have been just as well as I always have. How about you?” Sarcasm clearly laced her greeting. It was not that she despised Niko for who he was, but rather she was annoyed by the interruption. Her tail tip twitched softly as she stared at him, expecting a quick reply. Who knew what could be lurking at the borders or within their lands, be it a threat from a stranger or a particularly foolish member.

Once he was finished, Jagara swiped her tongue over her right canine, partly out of boredom and partly out of habit. Suddenly, she felt the scars on her knees begin to itch. To her best abilities, she tried to resist the temptation. Still keeping her blue-grey gaze trained on the other shifter, she asked him briskly, “What is the purpose of your conversing with me particularly as I was heading out, albeit early, to patrol? Have you a reason? There are many other… better times to seek me out.” It grew impossible to resist the burning of her skin. Playing it off, she gracefully seated herself upon the pavement and leaned her head down in order to rasp her rough tongue over the scars. After a few moments on each side, the jagged marks were satisfied. They truly were pesky things. No cream nor medicine seemed to help. But there was no medical solution to a tormented mind. The itching was purely psychological, though she had no idea. Jagara rose to her paws at the same time as she lifted her head up, looking to the Epror expectantly. Despite having time to spare before it was her obligatory turn, the snow leopard enjoyed looking to confront any trouble that might arise. Only in this pack had she held such a duty, and it never seemed to grow old. The other shifter packs had either been sheltered, nomadic, or simply did not care about borders so long as no one attacked them. Then again, those that attacked that pack of bears didn’t last long anyway.

He swished his tail through the air idly. Now that she was closer, he could see how different she was. Her fur was thick, very much so. Kinda fluffy. Like the thick coat of a panda bear’s. It made her look huggable. He padded towards her languidly, muscles rolling beneath his shoulders as he moved, his smile growing wider with the whiteness of his teeth showing slightly in the darkness. She was a serious one, concentrating fully and completely on the task at hand. He respected that and understood that. He stopped a respectful distance away from her, not trying to invade her personal space. He knew he had been wrong the first time he’d seen her. But he wondered if she’d bite him if he tried to hug her. Or kill him. He just wanted to see her reaction. Because she seemed so reserved. But she probably wasn’t in the mood to play around. To him, she was his fellow Shifter. Part of his clan. Maybe like a sister. A long lost sister. And brothers always annoyed their sisters. Sometimes. Most of the time. On purpose. Heh. But he knew how to hold back as they knew each other only by circumstance and hadn’t reached that level of closeness. They hadn’t really gotten to know each other or had any bonding session so to speak. All he knew was that she was Auxiliary and that was it. But he had this weird feeling she had a sense of humour that was just hiding underneath that cold exterior of hers. She only smiled when she was feeling it and that didn’t bother Niko at all. Had she sighed? For what it was worth, she still stopped to look at him. He appreciated that. When she spoke, it was in a low rumble. She was staring at him, most likely waiting for an answer but he spied her tail twitching slightly at the tip. She was alert, watching and listening for every noise. He said,“Glad to hear it. I’ve been good.”

They were both leopards. Though she seemed to be what he knew was a Snow Leopard. Fluffy. As opposed to his less fluffy form. Wasn’t the Snow Leopard an endangered species as well? That meant they were both endangered. Huzzah. He raised a paw, rubbing at his ear to scratch an itch at the base. Did she intend on resting for the night? He looked back at the library. He knew Shifters didn’t really have the need for houses so to speak because they were at their basic level, animals who could survive without the need for human comforts. But that was where the human part came in and the human part would enjoy a house. For the Auxiliary, it seemed her haven was the library. A love of the written word. He supposed she could have made the library her home in that case. Niko’s home was well, here. Everywhere. He enjoyed the trees, the grass and the rocky waterfalls. He enjoyed being out and about, free as a bird and generally moving around. Not that he couldn’t sit still. He could but he was usually moving or doing something while he was moving. Life was too short for him to pass by. Jagara seemed as if she wanted to do something. Looking for action he guessed. He smiled at her,“I just wanted to say hi. I figured we didn’t start off the way I would’ve liked us to when we first met.” He said as she looked up at him, gesturing with his head to follow him as he turned back around towards the library and started to walk down the path in his steady, smooth manner with agile strong paws,“Come on. Take a walk with me Ice Queen. Just one round. I’ll show you what I can do.” He didn’t remark on her odd action of her sitting down and her licking, though he did notice it. She didn’t say anything so he did not say anything as well, figuring it was nothing serious. She was still able to move without any problem. Although, he was curious about what it was that was pushing her to do such a thing. He would’ve said it was all in her head but he wasn’t too sure. There wasn’t anything he could do about it unfortunately right now.

Upon hearing the words roll so plainly from his mouth, a subtle growl began to rise from the shifter’s throat. How dare he disrupt her duties on account of a simple hello? But he gave her little time to react other than to flatten her ears in a gesture of disgust at his purpose. His further comments did not help his case either. What he really could do, as it seemed, was make a mess of things. Springing up from her seated position, she caught up with him quickly on her swift feline paws. The fur that created insulation between her toes muffled her steps to silence as she caught up in stride with him. The growl eventually faded from her throat, but it was only replaced with the coldness of biting frost as she spoke to him. “Call me that again, and you will earnestly regret it.” That would be his only warning. Jagara cast a glare towards him, solidifying the message: she would swipe if he tried that joke again. A few paw steps later, she began to add, “In any case, your personal matters are not a justified cause to disturb a shifter on duty. As an Epror, I thought you would know that. But since, as I have already mentioned, I am early, I will allow it this once. Make it short, and don’t make me regret this. You have already shown that most of what you care about is goofing off. If I need to train you to be an Epror, physically and mentally, I will exercise that right to do so.” Her ears and senses, though gently scoping the surrounding town, were acutely focused on him. If he was to try anything as idiotic as his words, she would be ready for it. In the meantime, her tail swayed gently behind her, stretching out a distance equivalent to the rest of her body length. In this stern silence, she carried on beside him, humouring his request. But the truth was, whatever faith and hope she had left for the younger male was waning due to his childish approaches. In her mind, those of higher rank should be serious about their work, with other emotions set aside for personal time. The fact that he did not seem to respect this only added more potent flavor to her disgust. Jagara hoped she was somehow wrong in her judgement, or at least that she would never have to work side by side with him. There was no room for goofing off in the job description.

The Jagara during shifts was much different from the one caught in her limited leisure time. And even then, most of that time was spent with Callista. Her beloved sniffer always managed to bring out the tender, loving, and fun side of the snow leopardess out of its shell. The same could be said for the Beta, really. Their hard exteriors and personalities managed to somehow demolish each other’s, making them a wonderful couple. Unlike Callista, however, Jagara had not always been that way. She used to be relatively sweet and kind to others, as much as a cat who grew up in solitude in the mountains could be. Two centuries of living in this forsaken world had changed her though. As Jagara glanced to Niko in a routinely manner to make sure he was doing something productive with this time, she figured that life had not stolen his naivety away yet. It would come for him too, some day. It came for everyone, some sooner than others. In the end, no one would die a virgin. Life fucks everyone up without preferential treatment.